The Place Where I Belong
by MysticWilderness
Summary: New girl Abby North joins the McKinley High Glee club. She's quiet and reserved, but has a voice to rival Rachel's when she doesn't hold back. An unlikely ally helps Abby to break out of her shell, and they start an even more unlikely relationship.
1. Chapter 1

Hey all, just wanted to put out the disclaimer: Anything you recognize I do not own...I own the plot line and the character Abby North, and any other secondary characters not related to Glee, and that is all. Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter One:

"Alright everyone settle down!" Will Schuester called out to the glee club members who were chatting idly in the choir room before rehearsal began one Tuesday after school. The group ended their conversations and turned their attention towards their teacher. "Ok, so we've got a new member joining our ranks today. Some of you may have seen a new face in your classes today – we have a new sophomore, Abigail North, who has just moved here from Canton, so let's all make her feel nice and welcome"

Mr. Schuester moved aside and Abby stepped forward smiling shyly at the group of teens in front of her, and she got a warm reception of smiles, waves, and people saying 'hello'.

"Ok, so Abby, why don't you have a seat, and everyone can introduce themselves while I hand out the music for our new song. We did great at sectionals, but we don't have much time before Regional's now and we need to get to work" Mr. Schue said with a smile, letting Abby move past him to join the rest of the club.

"Hey girl, I'm Mercedes, welcome to Lima" Mercedes stood up and shook Abby's hand.

"Hi, thank you" Abby said softly, returning her handshake and looking around at the teens who had circled around to introduce themselves, feeling fairly overwhelmed as she tried to remember all of their names.

"Hi, I'm Artie"

"I'm Rachel, and I just want to make it perfectly clear that-"

"Ignore her, we all do. I'm Kurt, and when you're ready to update your wardrobe I'm who you call"

"I'm T-t-tina"

"Nice to meet you, I'm Quinn Fabray"

"Hey, I'm Finn, we're glad to have you"

"I'm Brittany, this is Santana, and we're Cheerio's"

"What's up? I'm Mike, this is my boy Mark"

"Name's Puck"

"Hi everyone, it's nice to meet you all" Abby smiled and accepted the seat that Kurt offered to her between himself and Tina, and took the sheet music that Mr. Schuester passed her, smiling when she read the title.

"I love this song" she said quietly, and she and Tina shared a smile as they looked over the sheet music for the ABBA song 'Mamma Mia"

"Mr. Schue?" Rachel spoke up "I don't mean to make Abigail feel unwelcome, but how do we know she can sing? Did she even have to audition?"

"Yes Rachel, Abby auditioned just like everyone else. She was in my first period Spanish class this morning, and I told her about Glee, so she came and auditioned for me over lunch. Now, is everyone ready to give this one a dry run?"

There was a resounding yes from the girls, and Kurt, and a slightly less excited mutter from the boys, but Will shrugged and cued the musicians to begin playing the upbeat song. The rest of Glee rehearsal went by quickly for Abby as she watched the other members dancing around and goofing off as they sang, while she stayed seated and sang along quietly, clutching her music.

"Alright guys, good practice. I'll see you all tomorrow" Mr. Schuester ended rehearsal and everyone started to scatter off in different directions.

"Hey Abby, did you want to come to the mall with me and my boy Kurt here?" Mercedes offered.

"Oh, well that's really sweet, but I just got here on Sunday night and I've still got tons of unpacking and settling in to do. Some other time for sure though, ok?" Abby asked tentatively.

"Sure thing girl, we'll catch you tomorrow" Mercedes grinned and, hooking her arm through Kurt's, strutted out of the classroom.

Abby looked around and found that the only people left in the room were Puck and Finn, the two most intimidating people in the club, in her opinion. She tried to pack up her things as quickly and quietly as she could, so as to not draw attention to herself, but just as she was getting ready to bolt, Finn walked up to her with a friendly smile.

"Hey, so how did you like your first practice?"

"It was fun...you guys are all such good dancers though. I'm going to need to work hard to keep up"

Finn laughed and shook his head "No worries, Mr. Schue is a good teacher, you'll catch on fast"

"Alright, we gotta jet, catch you later new girl, Hudson you coming?" Puck asked from his place by the door, saving Abby from having to respond.

"Yeah" Finn nodded, then flashed another easy grin at Abby "See you tomorrow"

"Bye" Abby said with an awkward wave before she gathered her bags and, turning out the lights as she went, left the choir room and made her way out of the deserted school.

***

Half an hour later, Abby was letting herself into her apartment, firmly locking the door behind her as she set down her bag and surveyed the living room/dining room. Taking in the stacks of boxes that littered the floor and sparse furniture, she sighed and went to the kitchen, where she remembered that she still had no groceries. Deciding to wait until the next day to tackle that task and just order take-out again, Abby carried on through the small apartment to her bedroom, where things were a little more orderly, as she had spent the day before trying to get some of her things unpacked.

There was a light flashing on her answering machine when Abby went back out into the main room and she pressed the button as she settled down onto the small space she had created on the couch, pulling her backpack onto her lap to sort through that night's homework while she listened to her messages.

_Beep_ "Hey Abby, this is Carla Fortney, from the Ohio Student Welfare program. I was just calling to see how you were settling in and to make sure that everything was squared away at your school. If you could give me a call back at your convenience, that would be wonderful. Looking forward to hearing from you" _Beep_

Abby sighed deeply, looking forward to a time when she would not have to deal with the Student Welfare people anymore, though that would most likely not be for another two years when she turned eighteen. Mentally shaking her head, Abby paid attention to the next message that was playing.

_Beep_ "Abigail, this is your father. What makes you think you have the right to-" _Beep_

Abby cut off the message and deleted it immediately. She did _not_ want to deal with that again...ever.

Trying to put the message out of her mind, Abby pulled her iPod out of her pocket and turned it on, letting the familiar songs of the Rent soundtrack wash over her as she started in on her Spanish homework, grateful that she seemed to be on par with where the class was for at least one of her classes.


	2. Chapter 2

Just wanted to add in another disclaimer here, I don't own the song used in this chapter. It's Hero by Mariah Carey, and it belongs to her and whoever wrote it...Not Mine!

Chapter Two:

The next week, on Thursday morning, Abby walked into the school with a smile on her face, happy to be settling into a routine that included some new friends. She was beginning to understand the Glee dynamic, wherein the football players and cheerleaders were nice and fun during Glee rehearsals, but did not do anything more than give a nod of acknowledgment to the rest of the Glee members during the day in the halls. It was more than she was expecting, so it did not bother Abby at all when Puck and Finn barely made eye contact the day before when they passed her in the hall. The rest of the Glee members, however, were much kinder all day long, not only on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons when they held rehearsals.

Abby found herself being included into the day to day goings-on of Mercedes, Kurt, Artie, and Tina, getting to know them and finding that she had more in common with them than she had thought. Abby played a little guitar, and Artie had offered to help her hone her skills; Mercedes had an infectious sense of humour, and was letting Abby know about all the school gossip, which wasn't really her thing, but allowed her to create a bond with the girl; Kurt was hilarious and had a sarcastic wit that rivaled anyone Abby had ever known, and he was subtly but persistently encouraging Abby to 'fix up' her wardrobe; Tina was the one that Abby felt the closest to already, as they shared a common taste in music, movies, and though Tina didn't know it, Abby wished she had the courage to wear the kinds of clothes that she wore.

Mr. Scheuster smiled at Abby, Artie and Kurt as they entered the choir room after school that day, and they waved back as they claimed their usual chairs with Tina and Mercedes, who were already there. Puck was the last to enter the room, nodding apologetically at Mr. Scheu for being a few minutes late, and Abby was a little shocked to find Puck sitting on the empty chair next to her, instead of one of the ones on the other side of the room with Finn, Mike and Mark. Ok guys, so we're almost done getting Abby caught up on our old routines. By next week we should be good to go on starting on some fresh material for Regional's. We're going to run Don't Stop Believing today, so Abby, why don't you follow along as best you can on vocals for the first run through, and then we'll break it down for you so you can pick it up?"

"Ok, I'll give it a try" Abby agreed, moving to the front of the room to watch the choreography as she sang along following Tina's part in the music.

Once the song was over, Mr. Scheu made Abby get up and join the rest of the group, who helped her with the simple choreography as she fumbled along, trying her best to get the hang of it. They ran through the song twice more after that, and finally Mr. Scheuster agreed that it was decent enough and that with a little bit more practice Abby would have it down as solidly as the rest of the group.

"Hey Abby, next class we should show you our version of Proud Mary" Artie told Abby excitedly. "We do it with a special twist"

"Why wait? The wheelchairs are still in the auditorium" Brittany said with a smile and Abby looked at Artie curiously, mouthing the word 'wheelchair' at him questioningly.

"Can we Mr. Scheu?" Artie asked with a hopeful expression, ignoring Abby's curiosity for the moment.

"Yeah, alright let's go guys, to the auditorium" Mr. Scheuster agreed, and the class filed out, Brittany and Artie both telling Abby about how they came to create the routine and the whole debacle that went down at Sectionals.

"So they really stole your whole set-list? What did you do?" she asked in awe as the class entered the auditorium.

"We improvised. Rachel did a solo for our ballad, we put together a whole new number in under an hour, and we did an older routine we did at our invitational" Artie explained, allowing Abby to push him up the ramp to the stage while the other Glee members were setting up ramps on the actual stage and getting settled in wheelchairs. Abby and Mr. Scheuster moved out of the way and sat down in the audience as the band started playing the introduction to the song. Once it was over both Abby and Mr. Scheu started applauding and cheering.

"Ok great work for today guys, I'll see you all tomorrow" Mr. Scheu dismissed everyone.

"Hey Mr. Scheuster, would it be ok for me to stay behind and practice a little? I won't stay too late" Abby asked quietly, and Mr. Scheuster agreed.

"Of course Abby, would you like me to stay and help?"

"No, that's fine, I think I've got it, I just want to polish a little" Abby smiled

"Alright, well the school doors lock from the outside, so you'll still be able to get out if the janitors leave before you do. Just make sure you turn out the lights before you go"

"Ok, thank you Mr. Scheuster"

"No problem, Good Night Abby" Mr. Scheu smiled and started towards the door as the last of the students filed out in front of him.

"Night Mr. Scheu" Abby called after him, before double checking that everyone had in fact left.

Abby made sure that the doors were closed and then hopped back up onto the stage, which had been cleared of ramps and wheelchairs. Taking a deep breath, Abby looked out into the empty auditorium and began to sing.

There's a hero  
If you look inside your heart  
You don't have to be afraid  
Of what you are

There's an answer  
If you reach into your soul  
And the sorrow that you know  
Will melt away

And then a hero comes along  
With the strength to carry on  
And you cast your fears aside  
And you know you can survive

So when you feel like hope is gone  
Look inside you and be strong  
And you'll finally see the truth  
That a hero lies in you

It's a long road  
And you face the world alone  
No one reaches out a hand  
For you to hold

You can find love  
If you search within yourself  
And the emptiness you felt  
Will disappear

And then a hero comes along  
With the strength to carry on  
And you cast your fears aside  
And you know you can survive

So when you feel like hope is gone  
Look inside you and be strong  
And you finally see the truth  
That a hero lies in you

Oh ho, Lord knows  
Dreams are hard to follow  
But don't let anyone  
Tear them away, hey yea

Hold on  
There will be tomorrow  
In time, you find the way, hey

Then a hero comes along  
With the strength to carry on  
And you cast your fears aside  
And you know you can survive

So when you feel like hope is gone  
Look inside you and be strong  
And you finally see the truth  
That a hero lies in you

That a hero lies in you  
Mmm, that a hero lies in you

When the final note faded out, Abby smiled to herself, the familiar sense of calm and peace that she got from singing washed over her. She was so lost in her thoughts and emotions that she hadn't noticed anyone in the theatre, and was therefore quite startled when a voice came from the shadows in the right wing of the stage.

"Hope Rachel doesn't know you can sing like that" Puck said as he sauntered out of the shadows "She'd through a fit if she knew someone better than her had joined Glee"

"Puck! You scared me" Abby breathed "What are you doing here?"

"Forgot my guitar" he motioned over his shoulder to where his guitar case lay. "Seriously though, does Mr. Scheu know you can belt it like that?"

"Well I didn't audition with a real 'belt it' song, but that doesn't matter"

At Puck's arched eyebrow, Abby sighed and continued.

"I don't want to be the star, or sing solos or anything. I get terrible stage fright if I'm the center of attention. I never would have been able to sing that song like that had I known you were there"

Puck wandered over to the edge of the stage while Abby was talking, and sat down, letting his legs dangle over the side for a moment before he looked back at Abby and patted the spot next to him. Abby sat down cautiously, leaving a fair amount of space between them.

"I don't bite you know" Puck leaned back on his hands, tilting his face towards the ceiling.

"That's not what I've heard" Abby told him quietly, mimicking his position "I heard you're one to avoid, someone to be scared of"

"Are you scared of me?" he asked nonchalantly, keeping his eyes closed, like he really didn't care what her answer was.

"Yes" Abby answered truthfully.

"You don't seem like it"

"Well, looks can be deceiving"

"Apparently. So why stay here after school? Isn't someone gonna be wondering where you are?"

"Not particularly. I stay behind because I like it here better than at home" Abby's eyes shot open as she realised that she had said that last part out loud. She braved a look over at Puck and found him studying her with curious eyes. "Can you forget I said that?"

"Forget you said what?" Puck smirked at her as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"What about you, anyway?" Abby asked, trying to change the subject.

"What about me?"

"Why are you sitting here talking to me? Not that I mind, it just seems out of character for someone like you. I mean, you're a football player, have tons of friends, could have any girl or woman in this town that you want, and either have the respect of, or scare the hell out of this entire school, yet you're sitting here after school talking to me, the newest gleek"

"You know, that may just be the longest sentence I've ever heard you say" Puck commented "And I am sitting here talking to you because you confuse me. All the other gleeks are easy to figure out. You, not so much. You don't let people see the real you, or at least not all of the real you"

"That's very perceptive of you Noah"

"Like you said, appearances can be deceiving" he glanced over at Abby again "I'm going to figure you out North" he said, almost more to convince himself than to inform her.

"Why does it matter so much to you that you figure me out?"

"I honestly don't know" he said as he stood back up, grabbing his guitar case and jumping gracefully off the stage, turning around to face Abby as he walked backwards out of the auditorium. "But I'm gonna do it anyway. Catch you later North"

"Good Night Noah" Abby said quietly as Puck turned around and sauntered out the door, letting it slam shut with a bang that made Abby jump a little, even though she knew it was coming.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Abby was at her locker the next morning when Puck found her.

"Good morning" she said with a soft smile.

"Morning" he grinned back "Did you have fun with the rest of your private session last night?" he asked as he leaned against the locker next to hers.

"I did, it was very therapeutic, thank you. What did you end up doing last night?"

"Not much. Cleaned a pool, hung out and played video games with Finn, which was cool. We're just getting back into our groove since the whole blow out at Sectionals..." Puck trailed off.

"You cleaned a pool in November?" Abby asked suddenly and Puck chuckled.

"Yeah, indoor pools at apartment buildings. It's not as much cash as in the outdoor ones in the summer, but it's still a little extra cash I wouldn't have normally" he explained as Abby gathered her books for her first class.

"Oh, yeah I guess that makes sense" Abby said, locking her locker and starting down the hallway, Puck at her side as they carried on their conversation. Abby was about to say something when Dave Karofsky walked past them and threw a grape slushy into Abby's face.

"Welcome to gleekdom freak!" Karofsky shouted as he pumped his fists in the air and jogged away, leaving Abby sputtering, frozen in place while Puck seethed, seeing red.

"I'm gonna kill him" Puck muttered, and took off after the Karofsky, a murderous look on his face.

Abby stood frozen in the hall, the icy cold, sticky mixture dripping slowly down her face and body, laughter surrounding her for a moment before she snapped out of it and took off down the hall to the bathroom. Tina appeared a moment later and was by her side.

"I s-saw you r-r-run by. Are y-you Ok?"

Abby nodded mutely, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

"I'm g-gonna get Kurt and M-M-Mercedes – they're experts at c-cleaning up facials" Tina said, whipping out her cell phone and texting rapidly.

"This has happened before?" Abby asked, the horror evident in her voice.

"Oh yeah, all the t-t-time" Tina nodded emphatically as she started to wipe away the sticky mess from Abby's eyes with a damp paper towel.

"Why?" Abby whispered and Tina patted her arm sympathetically.

"Because we're l-l-lame and in G-glee"

"I hate high school"

"T-t-tell me about it"

"Puck seemed really upset that you got slushied" Kurt announced as he and Mercedes strode in, surveying the damage done with a tisk of his tongue. "He was pummelling Dave Karofsky when we ran past. Mr. Scheu and Mr. Tenaka were attempting to break them up. Puck was yelling something about growing up and having respect for people. I think he's been brainwashed. Now, let's see...this isn't too bad. We'll have you cleaned up in no time" Kurt gave her a reassuring smile as the three gleeks went to work fixing up Abby so that she looked as she did before the slushy attack.

Half an hour later Tina and Mercedes had left to get to their classes on time, but Kurt had stuck around with Abby, seeing as they both had Spanish with Mr. Scheuster and he would understand their reason for tardiness.

"So, you and Puck huh?" Kurt said with a smirk as he helped Abby dry her hair under the hand-dryers.

"What do you mean, me and Puck?" Abby feinted innocence.

"Don't toy with me! Normally Puck would not bat an eye at someone getting a facial unless it was himself. He only just stopped sending me dumpster diving a few weeks before sectionals. There has to be something going on between the two of you to make him go off on Karofsky like that"

"Well, it's nothing like you said. He and I just started talking last night. I stayed late to rehearse a little on my own after practice, and he forgot his guitar and came and sat and talked with me for a bit" Abby explained with a blush. "He wasn't nice per say, but he wasn't horrible or anything. He says I'm a mystery to him, and he wants to figure me out for some reason. Whatever that means"

"Whatever that means?! It means that Puck likes you is what that means!" Kurt all but squealed. "This is incredible, what are you going to do? Do you like him back?"

"What?! Kurt you must have inhaled too many hair product fumes, because there is no way that Puck likes me. And even if he did, I don't know if I'd like him back. I've never done the whole boyfriend thing. I've never even been kissed" Abby confessed nervously, a blush flaring bright on her cheeks.

Kurt took her hand and gave it a friendly squeeze "Don't worry honey, you're not the only one who hasn't had that particular experience yet"

"Well, it'll happen sooner or later for the both of us, and it'll be more special because we waited. Or at least, that's what I keep telling myself" Abby said with a rueful smile "Anyway, we should get going to class, or Mr. Scheu will be miffed"

Kurt pulled Abby in for a quick hug before helping her gather her things, and the pair walked out of the girls bathroom hand in hand, and made their way into Spanish class.

***

Later that day, after school was done, Abby was hovering outside the door to the choir room, debating whether she was going to go in or not. She could tell by the sound of the voices inside the room that almost everyone was already there, but the clock on the wall told her she had a good ten minutes to decide before she was officially late. The sound of footsteps echoed down the hall, and Abby looked up to see Puck coming towards her, a prominent bruise shining on his left eye. Abby gasped as she took in the dark, angry looking spot, and then looked down to the ripped skin of his knuckles on both hands. Taking a tentative step forwards, Abby met Puck in the middle of the hallway, still looking nervously between him and the door to the choir room.

"Why aren't you inside with the rest of them?" Puck asked after a moment of awkward silence.

"I...I haven't decided if I'm going back or not" Abby answered honestly, still not quite making eye contact, her hands fidgeting nervously.

"How come?"

"I'm not sure if it's worth it"

"What's worth it?" Puck cocked his head to the side, looking slightly confused.

"The humiliation, the torment, the hatred people feel towards us because we're different. At my old school, I was just invisible, and that was better than this; better than the way those jerks make me feel"

"Do you like Glee?" Puck asked simply and Abby sighed.

"Of course I do, but-"

"No buts, if you like Glee, then stick with it. Doesn't matter what those asses say about it. Take me and Finn, we got razzed for a bit, and still do a little for doing football and Glee, but we like both, so we stick with both"

"Can I ask you something?" Abby asked quietly, after letting Puck's words sing in for a moment.

"Shoot"

"Did you really beat that guy up because he threw a slushy at me?"

Puck sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Look, I know you've heard things about me, about the way I was before. I've been through some stuff that's making me try to change my ways, but still maintain my reputation. I know it's confusing, hell it's confusing to me and I'm trying to do it. I used to throw slushies at the gleeks every day, I used to throw Kurt in the dumpster a few times a week, I used to pummel people, or shove them into lockers, or trap them in port-o-johns, just because I could. I haven't done that in a while, and I feel bad about the stuff I did. But I'm not going to go all soft and mushy just because I'm in Glee now. I'm still a badass football player, and if someone does something to piss me off, they are going to know that it's not cool, and pay for it" Puck let out a slightly menacing growl that made Abby take a step backwards, a flicker of fear passing over her eyes.

Realization washed over Puck in that moment, and he checked himself immediately, trying to tone down his far-to-active temper. "I'm not going to hurt you North...Abby. Just so you know, you don't have to be afraid of me. And yeah, I did beat the hell out of Karofsky because he slushied you. That was something that pissed me off, and he had to learn that it was not gonna fly"

Abby was about to reply when Mr. Scheuster turned a corner and came down the hall towards them.

"Hey guys, you all set for practice?" He asked with a smile, oblivious to the slightly intense conversation he had just interrupted.

Puck looked down at Abby, who shrugged her shoulders and nodded her head.

"We'll be right in Mr. Scheu" she told him as he entered the choir room.

"So...we cool?" Puck asked, shoving his hands deep into his pockets and rocking back on his heels for a moment.

"Yeah, we're cool" Abby "But Noah? While I appreciate you're standing up for me, I don't want you to hurt anyone on my behalf anymore, Ok? I just...I can't deal with that, so, thank you, but please don't do that again" she gave him a small smile and then turned and followed Mr. Scheuster into the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

Throughout the entire Glee rehearsal Kurt, Mercedes, Tina and Brittany were trying to get Abby to tell them what she and Puck had been talking about in the hall, before they had entered rehearsal together. That combined with the fact that they were working on a new number that Abby could not get the choreography down to, and Santana was shooting death glares at her the entire two hours, Abby was not in the best of moods when Mr. Scheuster sat the whole group down near the end of practice to make an announcement.

"Ok guys, here's the deal. I want to take you all on a field trip. There is a high school in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who's Glee club would like to have an invitational skirmish with you guys. Their director saw you guys at Sectional's, and would like to have our two clubs meet. You won't be competing at Regional's with them, but it's still a great way to meet some new people, and see what some other Glee clubs are up to. So, are we interested in going?"

There was a unanimous answer of yes from the club, and Mr. Scheuster held up his hands in defence from the cheering and questions being shouted at him from the students.

"Whoa, hold on guys, hold on! Now let me finish before you bombard me again, I'll answer all your questions, I promise. Now, the school is about an hour and a half away, so we'll need $25 from each of you to cover the expenses, and I'll need each of you to bring me back a signed permission slip as soon as possible. We will be crossing state lines, so it's a more involved permission slip than the ones you're used to. I have the slips for you today, and I'll need them all before we board the bus on Friday morning. All the details are on the forms for your parents to read over, and if they have any questions at all, they can feel free to call me. Oh, and Ms. Pillsbury will be the other chaperone on the trip in case you were wondering"

Mr. Scheuster spent the next twenty minutes answering questions from the club before he passed out the permission slips and dismissed them. Abby rushed out of the room after Mr. Scheuster, ignoring the calls from her friends back in the rehearsal room. She caught up with him just at the door to his office.

"Mr. Scheuster? Could I talk to you for a minute?" she asked after knocking quietly on the doorframe of the open door.

"Sure Abby, what's up?"

Abby looked around to make sure the hall was empty before she ran a hand through her hair and stepped into the room, sitting down in the chair in front of Mr. Scheuster's desk.

"I can't get a parents signature on the permission slip" she said quietly, staring at a point on the desk in front of her.

"Well Abby, you need the signature to go on the trip. I'm afraid that's just how it works; there is no way around it. Where are your parents that they can't sign the form?" Mr. Scheuster asked with a tone of concern.

"I don't live with my parents. My mom died, and I'm legally emancipated from my dad and live on Student Social Assistance. My mom grew up in Lima, which is why I chose here I guess. Anyway, I signed all my own paperwork to get transferred into the school, so would I be able to sign my own permission slip?"

Mr. Scheuster sighed and leaned back in his chair, studying the young girl before him.

"God, Abby that's a big hit of information you just handed me. So your mother passed away, and you're emancipated from your father, which means..."

"It's basically like I divorced my dad. I am my own person and can make my own decisions and live on my own without him being in my life at all. And before you ask, I'd really rather not get into the details of why I chose to get emancipated if it's all the same"

"Of course, that's your business, and as long as your safety and the safety of your teammates and friends isn't questioned because of it, it will stay your business" Mr. Scheuster told her, speaking to her with the same level of seriousness he would any of his colleagues, because he could tell by the air that Abby held herself that she had had many conversations similar to this one with many adults, and she was keeping her guard up so that she wouldn't get blindsided.

"He doesn't want anything to do with me right now, so our safety shouldn't come into question. But if there ever comes a time when he does become a problem, I will let you know because then...well then we'd need to talk" Abby told him, smiling tightly in hopes of covering up the fear that she felt whenever she thought of her father.

"Ok, and Abby-"

"I know. If I ever want to talk about it, you're here. Thank you, but for now I'm alright. I appreciate it and all, but I'm fine. So it's alright if I sign my own paper?"

"I'll have to double check with Principle Figgins, but if you signed your own administrative papers than you should be just fine. Will you have a problem coming up with the money for the trip?" Mr. Scheuster tacked on at the end, flinching a little at the blunt way it came out.

Abby just laughed, shaking her head. "No, it should be fine. I'm not a pauper Mr. Scheu I'm just not really living the high life right now. I'll be able to come up with the money by Friday"

Mr. Scheuster laughed along with her and nodded his head in understanding. "Alright Abby, well thank you for letting me know about this. I'll check with Figgins and let you know about it on Monday"

"Thanks Mr. Scheu. Oh and one more thing?"

"I know, and don't worry, the other kids won't hear a word of this unless it's you who tells them" Mr. Scheuster gave Abby a warm smile as she picked up her bag and started out into the hallway.

"Thanks. Have a good weekend Mr. Scheuster"

"You too Abby"

Abby walked down the hall, feeling better now that she had worked out the issue with the Glee instructor. She was not looking forward to another long and lonely weekend alone in her apartment, but her spirit brightened a little when she decided that she would call Tina and ask if the gang wanted to go hang out at the mall or something. Smiling at the prospect of spending some time with her new friends, Abby had a smile on her face as she walked out of the school.

***

Meanwhile, Mercedes was in Kurt's car with Kurt, both on their cell phones, connected to the same conference call, which connected in Tina, Artie, and Brittany.

"You guys, I have major news" Mercedes was telling the group excitedly. "You know how we all figured that Abby was keeping some horrible secret?"

"You f-f-found out what it is?!" Tina exclaimed, worry lacing her voice.

"She has an illegitimate love child at home?" Kurt guessed

"She's a spy with the FBI?" Artie took a stab at it

"Guys, if s-she wanted us to know sh-sh-she'd tell us herself" Tina said in Abby's defence.

"Does that mean you don't want to know?" Mercedes taunted and Tina conceded.

"Well, n-n-not if the rest of you are g-gonna know" she said sheepishly.

"Ok, well get this guys. I followed Abby when she ran from Glee like a girl who's weave had caught fire. She was following Mr. Scheu, so first I thought, damn we've got another Rachel-Mr. Scheu crush scenario on our hands, so I did a little eavesdropping to figure out how bad it was, and that is when I heard. She went to Scheu's office and told him that she couldn't get a parent to sign her permission slip, because...she's emancipated"

"What's that?" Brittany asked slowly, as she tried to spell out the word in her head.

"It means she lives on her own, she's legally her own person and doesn't need her parents for anything" Artie explained.

"Oh. So why is she going to school then? If I didn't have parents I wouldn't go to school"

"Because she's got a clue honey" Kurt told her gently then motioned for Mercedes to continue.

"Anyway, so, I guess her mama died, but she didn't say when or why, but I guess her daddy is bad news and she had to get away from him. Again she didn't use details, but from what I got, if he ever turns up, we could all be in some trouble.

"Maybe he's in a gang" Artie suggested.

"P-p-poor Abby" Tina commented sadly.

"Yeah, I know, but how could she keep something like this from us?! We are the ones who should be afraid of some crazy-ass white man coming to kill us in our sleep!" Mercedes exclaimed. Kurt rolled his eyes and reached across the console of his car to pat her on the arm.

"I think that's going a little overboard, and this is coming from me. But I do think you're correct. Abby is our friend, she should have told us the truth"

"So how does she make money if she doesn't live with her parents?" Artie asked suddenly.

"She said something about Student Social Assistance, but that still must not give her a lot of extra dough" Mercedes told them. "Anyway, Brittany, can you tell Santana and the football guys about all this? We need to make sure the whole group knows by Monday do we're all caught up before we see Abby again"

"Sure. What am I telling them?" Brittany asked, sounding kind of dazed.

"Never mind, I'll send a mass e-mail when I get home. This is too important a piece of gossip to leave to someone else" Mercedes decided.

"Send us all a copy so we know what you told the football people too" Kurt told her, loving the gossip almost as much as his friend.

"Oh I will, no worries. By dinner tonight everyone will know Abby's secret, and she won't have to hide it anymore"

The group ended their call, all feeling pretty good about the fact that they thought they were alleviating the stress of hiding a secret from their new friends' shoulders.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

By Monday morning, the entire Glee club had been informed of what Mercedes had found out about Abby and the gossip was still flowing fresh when Abby made it to her locker. She quickly dropped off her bag and pricked up the books she needed before heading over to Kurt and Mercedes' lockers. However as soon as she got there, the two immediately stopped talking.

"Hey guys, I tried to get a hold of both of you this weekend" Abby said after a moment of awkward silence.

"Oh really? I never got any messages. My dad must have forgotten to tell me you called. So sorry" Kurt murmured before offering a flash of a smile and ducking into the stream of students heading towards their classes.

"Sorry hun, my phone died and I forgot the charger at my cousin's place. I didn't get it back until late last night. My bad" Mercedes offered as an excuse "I've got to get going Abby, I'll see you at lunch girl" and with that she too had disappeared down the hallway, going the opposite direction as Kurt.

"Well, that was weird" Abby muttered to herself before carrying on down the hall towards Mr. Scheuster's Spanish class.

Just outside her classroom, Abby saw Finn, who started to wave in greeting, but then froze, opened and shut his mouth a few times, and then turned on his heel and high-tailed it in the opposite direction.

"What on earth is going on here?" Abby muttered to herself, but before she could take another step she felt a shove on her arm and was flung against the set of lockers to her left.

"Talking to yourself is a bad sign, even for a freak like you Gleek!" Karofsky shouted at her as she panted, trying to catch the breath that had been knocked out of her.

"Abby, are you Ok?" Mr. Scheuster was at her side in an instant, and over his shoulder she could see Mr. Tanaka speaking harshly to Karofsky.

Shaking herself off and taking a few deep breaths, Abby nodded.

"I'm fine Mr. Scheu, just a little winded" she told him with a weak smile.

"Good, come one then, I'll walk you to class" Mr. Scheuster said with a gallant flair, picking up Abby's dropped bag and walking along side her the last few feet to the classroom.

"Thanks Mr. Scheu" Abby said with a laugh as they walked through the door. "Oh and before I forget, I have the money and permission slip for you, I'll give them to you at rehearsal" Abby smiled as she took her bag back and took her seat near the front of the room, only turning to give a curious look at Santana and Quinn, who had burst out into giggles when Abby entered the room.

***

By lunch, Abby was fed up from all the whispers behind her back, conversations that stopped the moment she walked up, and the weird looks that came her way whenever she passed by. So instead of joining her friends at their usual table in the cafeteria, Abby grabbed a novel from her locker and sat down on the floor in the hallway, eating her lunch and reading for the period. She received the same kind of treatment for the whole afternoon, and was very confused and frustrated by the time she reached the choir room for Glee. Almost the whole club was there by the time she arrived, and the whole room fell silent when she walked in, and Abby merely rolled her eyes and took a seat at the side of the room. The group stayed awkwardly quiet until Brittany and Mike walked in.

"Hi Abby!" Brittany chirped "I haven't seen you all day, but I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry about your mom"

"Brittany, what are you talking about?" Abby asked, sitting up straighter in her chair.

"Nothing, the girl don't know what she's saying" Mercedes exclaimed, jumping to her feet and leading Brittany to one of the chairs near her and Kurt.

"I don't mean nothing" Brittany protested "I'm sorry that your mom died" she said, and Abby turned ghostly pale.

"Brittany?" Abby said slowly as she rose to her feet, all eyes on her every move. "How did you know my mother-" her voice cracked on the word and she tried again "my mother was dead?"

"Well Mercedes told me. She told all of us actually, after she heard you talking to Mr. Scheu about it" Brittany supplied with a smile.

"What was that about Mr. Scheu?" Mr. Scheuster asked with a smile as he caught the last part of Brittany's sentence. He smile faded quickly when he caught on to the tension in the room. "What's going on guys? Is everything Ok?"

"Mercedes?" Abby said, turning her eyes slowly from Brittany over to Mercedes, the look of betrayal set deep in her eyes. "Is it true? Did you eavesdrop on my private conversation with Mr. Scheuster and then tell the entire club about my private personal life?" Abby spoke with such and even tone and without any emotion that she was frightening some people, who were expecting a much more emotional blow out.

Mercedes took a deep breath, her eyes focused on a spot of the floor near Abby's shoe.

"I'm sorry Abby"

"Oh Mercedes" Mr. Scheuster could be heard murmuring disappointedly.

"You're sorry?" Abby questioned. "You're sorry about what, exactly? The fact that you eavesdropped on a very personal and private conversation? Or maybe the fact that you then relayed that personal and private conversation for a dozen of your closest friends? Or was it the fact that I found out about it all? That's why you ignored my calls all weekend right? Because you couldn't gossip about what you learned when the person that it's about was in earshot? Well, that's just great" She sighed and finally broke her fixed stare away from Mercedes and let it land on each member of the club for a few seconds as she continued to speak. "I...I have to go" she shrugged, running a hand through her hair and then started to walk out the door.

"Wait, Abby" Puck called out, and Abby and the rest of the club turned to look at him in surprise, none looking more surprised that he had called out than Puck himself.

"What is it Noah?" Abby asked tiredly.

"Don't go" he muttered, looking at her left ear instead of directly in her eyes.

"Why?" she looked around, and when no one answered she nodded her head and walked out of the room, the door closing with a resonating thud after her.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

Abby rushed out of the school, tears blurring her vision so badly that she could hardly tell where she was going. The walk back to her apartment, which usually only took fifteen minutes, took closer to thirty as she wandered down the sidewalk, tears still streaming down her face, lost in thoughts of betrayal and embarrassment. She finally made her way to her apartment, but decided to keep walking despite the cool, late fall weather. There was a park a few blocks away from where Abby lived, and she settled down onto one of the swings, her iPod playing softly in her ears as she swayed gently. She was so lost in thought that over an hour past before a chill overcame her and she had to get up and start walking back to her apartment. Walking into the lobby Abby almost turned around and left again, but a voice called out and she stopped in her tracks.

"Abby, wait!"

"How did you find out where I live?"

"I didn't know you lived here, seriously. I was just here to clean the pool, honestly" Puck said, holding his hands up in front of him in a show of surrender.

"Fine, well...bye" Abby moved to get around Puck to the elevator, but as she waited for the doors to open Puck stepped up beside her. "Go away Noah"

"We need to talk about this" he said simply, and chuckled when Abby tried to get onto the elevator and close the doors without letting him in, but he shouldered his way in and leaned against the wall while Abby pouted slightly, rubbing at already red and swollen eyes.

"You're not coming in my apartment Noah, just so you know" Abby told him stubbornly, glaring when he merely rolled his eyes at her.

Once the elevator doors opened, Abby stormed out and down the hall, grabbing her keys from her pocket as she went, hearing the footfalls of Puck behind her as she tried her best to outrun him. She got her door open in record time but Puck was right there behind her. Opening the door as little as possible for her to slip through, she tried to slam the door shut, but Puck got his fingers around the door frame, and she had too much heart to crunch his fingers like that.

"Move your hands Noah, I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to" Abby said in what she hoped was a threatening voice.

"Come on North, you're being stupid. Let me in, we'll talk and then you can throw me out on my ass ok?" Puck tried to reason and Abby couldn't help but smile at his attempts at placating her.

"I'm not your little sister Noah; you can't bribe me into getting your way"

"I can hear that you're smiling; you know you want to talk to me. Come on North...Abby, please just let me in?" he sounded so sincere that Abby let up her hold in the door for a moment of hesitation and Puck used that slight give of pressure to muscle open the door and enter with a smirk on his face. "See, now that wasn't so hard was it?"

"Shut up" Abby muttered, walking into her living room and flopping down onto the couch, watching as Puck did the same thing, settling on the other side of her couch while looking around curiously.

"This is a nice place you've got here" he said and actually sounded rather impressed. "It's pretty sweet that you get this place all to yourself"

"Yeah, all the bills, all the chores, all the silence...really sweet" Abby muttered, then sent an apologetic look at Puck. "Sorry, didn't mean to sound so bitter there, it's just not all it's cracked up to be, this whole 'freedom' thing"

"I'd give anything to not have my mom breathing down my neck and my little sister underfoot" Puck said wistfully.

"Yeah, well I'd give anything to have a mom again" Abby said softly. Puck sat uncomfortably for a moment before looking up at Abby.

"Trade you?"

Abby snorted out an unexpected laugh, which made Puck laugh too.

"Did you seriously just snort?"

"Of course not, what are you talking about?" Abby looked shiftily from side to side for a moment before grinning at Puck, a slight blush on her cheeks. "Thanks though, I needed a laugh"

Puck smiled back, turning so that he was leaning against the arm rest of the couch and facing Abby fully.

"So, kind of a sucky day for you huh?" he said simply.

"Yeah, you could say that. I just...I was finally settled, I found my place in the school, had some friends, and then this all happens. It feels like every time my life gets some semblance of order something has to happen to make it go to shambles again" Abby leaned her head back and sighed deeply. "I hate drama!" she groaned and Puck laughed.

"I hear you there. But really, who cares if everyone knows you're in a tough spot right now, isn't that a good thing?" he held up his hand at the ludicrous look Abby was giving him and continued "No, seriously, so like now that people know, you can have people over and they won't be wondering why your family lives in a one bedroom apartment. If you can't swing something money-wise, they'll get why without hounding you about it. If your dad shows up, which Mercedes eluded would be a bad thing, we can help out and make sure you're ok. I mean it's not all that bad"

"Yeah, but now I'm going to have to deal with the pitying looks, the sarcastic comments, the awkward silences when they've been talking about me again. I've been down this road before Noah, and when all the drama with my family went down at my old school and people found out, it made things ten times worse"

"But that was there, this is here"

"Stop being sensible, I'm trying to be in a funk here, and you're not helping any"

"Sorry"

"It's alright. Can I vent more?" Abby asked with a small smile which Puck returned.

"Knock yourself out"

"Well, the fact that Mercedes actually eavesdropped is just really hurtful, and I feel really betrayed that she told everyone what she heard after she did it. That is just like rubbing salt in the wound"

"Yeah I gotta agree with you there, that was definitely shitty thing for her to do. I can understand being upset over that one. But really, you must have known that people would find out about it all sooner or later right?" Puck leaned forward, trying to make eye-contact for the first time in their conversation.

"I don't know. Honestly? When I first started looking into getting emancipated, I never really imagined that I'd ever get away. Once I actually got here, I was just shocked that I actually did it. I never really planned anything further than getting away. Then I started to meet people and joined Glee and well, it just never came up. No one asked and I didn't tell, and then all of a sudden I got scared of what everyone would think once they did find out, and it became this big secret that I had to keep. It all sounds so stupid out loud though"

"Not so stupid, I can see where you were coming from"

"Yeah I guess" Abby got up from the couch. "Do you want a drink? I've got soda, water, juice?"

"Sure, I'd take a Coke if you got it?"

"Yup, just a second" Abby disappeared into the kitchen and came back with two glasses of Coke, handing one to Puck, who nodded his thanks. They both sat quietly for a moment, sipping their drinks and lost in their thoughts.

"Abby?" Puck asked quietly, and Abby put down her drink, turning to face him. "What did...what happened to make you need to leave your dad?"

"It's a long story, and I don't really like to talk about it" she said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear and looking at Puck out of the corner of her eye, noticing the downtrodden look on his face. "I'm sorry, it's nothing against you I swear, it's just-"

"Don't worry about it" he grunted, and Abby could see his face closing off to her.

"Noah, please don't be like that. I've had a hell of a day, and I've spilled my guts to you already, which is something I never do, and was really hard for me, and I just...those are a whole other batch of bad memories that I don't want to get into right now. I will tell you some day, just, not right now, Ok?" Abby felt the tears welling in her eyes again and before she could stop it, they had spilled over and were running down her cheeks.

"Whoa, Abby come on now, don't cry" Puck said, sliding over until he was beside her on the couch, tentatively putting his arm around her and patting her shoulder awkwardly; it was so awkward in fact that Abby laughed a little.

"Don't do tears very well do you?" she said as she sat up straighter, letting Puck's arm fall away from her, and wiping at her tears.

Puck grinned a little and shrugged. "It's different when it's my mom or my sister...I'm Noah to them, they don't know or care much about my reputation at school. Well that's not true, mom knows about it from having to talk to Figgins a few times, but she doesn't mention that at home" he rambled a little bit. "Anyway, no, I don't do the tears thing much, and I'm, well I'm sorry I made you cry, I didn't mean to push like that"

"It's alright; I just don't want you to feel like I don't trust you, because I do, well, as much as I can allow myself to. Trust is another issue with me, but we can Dr. Phil the heck out of that one some other time. I'm tired of baring my soul for now" she said with a small yawn.

"Well no worries, you didn't hurt my feelings" Puck said with a teasing push at Abby's shoulder, laughing when she tipped over farther than he thought she would. "Man you really are just a tiny thing aren't you?" he ask rhetorically, smirking when Abby blushed.

"So, since I've done so much soul baring tonight Noah, why don't you tell me one of your deep dark secrets?"Abby teased, then sobered when she saw that Puck had paled considerably and was giving her a nervous look. "Oh, wow there is something...do you want to talk about it?" she immediately shifted into concerned friend mode, placing her hand comfortingly on Puck's knee while he got his thoughts together.

"I, well it's not really something that's bothering me, more it's something you should hear from me before you hear it from someone else, Ok? And I want you to know, I wasn't purposely keeping this from you, it's like you said, it didn't come up and I was afraid of how you might react" Puck caught Abby's eyes and held their contact for a moment and Abby smiled encouragingly at him.

"I understand, go ahead and tell me"

"Ok, well a ton of drama went down just before Sectionals last month, involving me, Finn and Quinn. Finn and Quinn were dating, and you know obviously that Quinn is pregnant. Well she told Finn that he was the father of her baby, which made sense since they were dating, but well I am the father of Quinn's baby. She got drunk and we slept together while she was still seeing Finn, but she doesn't want to date me, and I don't want to date her either. I do want to do right by my kid though. There was this whole other messed up thing where Quinn was gonna give her baby to Mr. Scheuster's wife because she was pretending to be pregnant and when he found out she wasn't he left her, but that's all done with I think. So now Quinn's finally living with her parents again, since she was staying with Finn for a while when her dad first found out, but she's back home, and Finn and I are just starting to get back to the way we used to be. You may have noticed that it's a little tense between the three of us at Glee sometimes, so that's why"

Abby sat dumbfounded for a few long moments before looking up into Puck's eyes, and seeing the uncertainty and hope there, she took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug, pouring all of her compassion and understanding into the hug, and also taking from it the strength that she needed to deal with her problems. It took Puck a moment to respond, but when he did, they two stayed locked in their embrace for a few minutes, both taking and giving everything that they needed from the other. Once they finally pulled back, Abby's face was aflame with color and Puck stood and started to walk around the apartment, ignoring Abby's presence for a quick time.

"So, I should, I should probably get going" Puck finally announced, coming to stop in front of Abby and holding out a hand to help her off the couch, which she accepted gracefully.

"Oh", well Ok, yeah that's cool, um...so I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow?" she asked as the pair walked to the door.

"Yeah, I'll come find you before classes start, make sure the others aren't giving you a hard time for taking off today" Puck told her, shooting her a reassuring smile. "It'll all be fine"

"I'll try and keep telling myself that"

"It will, don't worry. So, I uh..." Puck pulled Abby in for another hug, this one shorter than the last, but as he pulled away he placed a tender kiss on Abby's lips.

Once Puck had pulled away, Abby looked up at him with wide eyes, her mouth slightly open from shock.

"Have a good night Abby, I'll see you tomorrow" Puck said softly, brushing his hand against her cheek gently before stepping into the hallway, closing the door behind himself and leaving Abby still slightly stunned in her front hall, a goofy smile spreading across her features.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven:

"Hey, how's it going?" Puck sidled up beside Abby in the hallway the next day, leaning against the locker next to her.

Abby spun around to face Puck and smacked him on the chest with an open palm.

"Hey! What was that for?!" he asked indignantly, a frown marring his face.

"You kissed me last night!" Abby hissed at him and Puck as so caught off guard that he burst out laughing, causing several of the people standing nearby to look over in surprise.

"It's not funny" Abby pouted, then squeaked when he pulled her into a hug.

"You're cute when you're flustered" he murmured in her ear before releasing her. "And I was under the impression you had quite enjoyed that kiss"

"Well that's beside the point" Abby said stubbornly.

"Oh? Well then what's the point? What's with all the dramatics" Puck challenged.

Abby flushed and looked down, muttering "Never mind"

Puck shook his head, poking Abby gently in the ribs "Nope, gotta spill now, you brought it up"

"You'll laugh at me"

"I promise not to laugh" he held up a hand to swear his promise.

"Well, it's just...that was my first kiss and it caught me off guard"

Abby smacked Puck again, a stern look on her face when he smirked lewdly at her.

"Stop that" she told him, fighting a smile herself. "Anyway, moving on with the conversation before I say anymore embarrassing things, I have to get going to class. I need to apologize to Mr. Scheuster for causing a scene during rehearsal and storming out like that"

"Alright, come one, I'll walk you" Puck pushed himself off of the locker he was leaning against and fell into step beside Abby. "Do you want me to come in and talk to Mr. Scheu with you?"

Abby smiled but shook her head. "You're sweet for offering, but I'm Ok"

"Suit yourself" Puck shrugged as they arrived outside of the classroom, Abby looking in to see if Mr. Scheuster was already inside, which he was. "I'll see you at lunch?"

"Well I'm probably going to end up eating at my locker again today. I don't really want to sit with the Glee kids, seeing as how we're not really talking right now, and no offence, but I'm not going to sit with the football guys, even if you and Finn are there. So you enjoy your lunch with your friends, I'll be fine" Abby said with a soft smile.

"Nope, I'm not buying it" Puck reached up to cradle Abby's cheek in his palm. "You're sad about the Glee kids. You should talk to them, tell them what they did wasn't cool"

"I think they got that message loud and clear after my little explosion last night"

"True, but try again, since you're a little calmer now. At least give it a chance to clear the air, and if you still want to freeze them out afterwards, go for it"

"And where is all of this sage advice coming from Mr. Puckerman?" Abby asked with a coy smile.

"I was on the outs with Finn and Quinn on and off for most of last semester with all of the baby drama. Sometimes I had to apologize, sometimes it was one of them. Ok, well Quinn never really apologized, but she didn't really need to. Anyway, fighting with friends sucks, and the longer it lasts the worse it gets and the more awkward it is to fix. I know your pissed now, but if you at least get the communication flowing now, it'll be easier when you're really ready to forgive them. Plus it's only like what, three weeks until Regional's and we need all hands on deck for Glee"

Abby sighed, scrubbing a hand over her face and back into her hair, exhaling deeply.

"Ok, you're right, I'll try and talk to them a little bit at lunch"

"Good, come find me after and we'll eat together, away from the Gleeks and the football guys"

Abby nodded, and started to walk into her classroom before turning to face Puck "You know you should really stop calling them Gleeks considering you are one of them" she flashed an impish grin and then turned back around and entered Mr. Scheuster's classroom, knocking lightly on the doorframe.

"Mr. Scheuster? Could I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure Abby, come on in" Mr. Scheuster smiled, setting aside the paper he was grading. "What's up?"

Abby hopped on the desk that was in front of Mr. Scheuster's desk, her bag on the floor by her feet.

"Um, well I just really wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday at rehearsal. I should not have stormed out like that and missed practice, especially so close to Regional's. It was unprofessional, and I only made myself look bad, but I was so wrapped up in being embarrassed and angry that I couldn't even be in a room with them without bursting into tears or flying into a screaming rage so I thought it best to just leave. It won't happen again"

Mr. Scheuster got up and moved so that he was sitting on his desk in front of Abby, their knees only a few inches apart, his hands resting on his desk on either side of his thighs.

"It's alright Abby, the kids explained to me what went down, and I understand why you reacted the way you did. Have you talked to anyone about all of this yet?"

"Yeah, actually, I – um, I talked to Puck" Abby said with a blush, looking down at her shoes for a moment so she didn't see the shocked look in Mr. Scheuster's face.

"Oh, well, that's...interesting" Mr. Scheuster got out and Abby looked up at him for a moment before started to giggle.

"Interesting, Mr. Scheu?" she asked and he started laughing along with her.

"You're right, maybe that's not the best word" he said once they had both calmed themselves a little. "I just didn't know you and Puck were friends"

"Well it came on kind of suddenly. That day I stayed late in the auditorium, after you should me Proud Mary? Well he forgot his guitar and came back for it and heard me singing. We talked a bit then, and have gotten closer over the last few weeks. He's actually given me some really good advice a few times now, if you can believe it"

Mr. Scheuster chuckled. "I always knew that Puck was a good person deep down, it would just take a special kind of person to bring it out of him. I'm glad you still have a friend through all of this, but it would still be good if-"

"Don't worry Mr. Scheuster, I was planning on talking to them today at lunch" Abby cut him off softly, hopping down off the desk as the first students began filtering in for the beginning of class. "I don't know if I'll be able to forgive them or trust them on a friend level for a while, but for the sake of Glee, I'll try and get things to a civil level"

"Alright, let me know how things go, and if you need help with anything, you know where to find me"

"That I do, Mr. Scheuster, that I do" Abby grinned at him as she took her seat and started getting reading for Spanish class, keeping her head down when she saw Kurt walk into the class. She felt his heavy gaze on her back throughout the whole class, and she was out of her seat before he could get to her once the bell rang.

Abby escaped out into the hallway and to her next class in record time, having to dodge Santana and Quinn, as well as Artie and Tina on her way. Once she was safely in her Glee-Free classroom, Abby settled in and tried to think of what she was going to say next period when she talked to her betrayers. The period flew by while Abby was lost in thought and it seemed like no time at all had passed until she was entering the cafeteria, smiling weakly at the encouraging look Puck gave her from the football table, and standing at the head of the table where the Gleeks all sat.

As soon as she was seen, the conversation at the table doubled as Rachel, Mercedes, Kurt, Tina, Artie, Mike and Mark all tried to get her attention to apologize. The sound came out like a dull roar that had half the cafeteria looking in their direction, wondering what the commotion was about. Abby quickly held up her hand, and the table fell silent quickly.

"Hi" Abby said lamely, and then mentally shook herself before starting again "Look, I can't say that I'm not still mad at you guys, particularly you Mercedes, for what you did. It was embarrassing, and mean, and despite the fact that you say you did it with good intentions, I still feel betrayed. I'm coming back to Glee, and I'm not going to freeze you all out during rehearsals or anything, but the way I feel right now, I can't trust you guys, or really be your friend right now. I've gone through a lot of emotional crap in my lifetime, more than you even know, though you know more than I would have liked you to, and I'm going to need some time to get over the hurt and betrayal I'm feeling right now, and to be able to trust you again. You don't need to apologize; I can tell by all of your faces that you're sorry, I'm just going to need some time before things can get back to the way there were before. I hope you guys can understand that. I'll see you all at Glee tomorrow"

Abby finished her speech and turned around and headed for the door, not looking back, the tears in her eyes threatening to overflow any second. She was out of the cafeteria doors and part way down the hallway before Puck caught up with her. He ran up behind Abby and reached out to take hold of her arm. She gave a startled yelp and whipped around, jerking her arm out of his reach before realizing who it was.

"Sorry" she muttered before turning around again and striding for the door.

"Would you slow down?" Puck demanded, taking a few large steps forwards to overtake Abby and moving in front of her so that she had nowhere to go. "And just where do you think you're trying to go?"

"I just need to get out of here Ok? I just...that was- I need to get out of here" Abby said shakily, a few tears escaping.

"Ok, just hold on, I'll get you out of here, let's go" Puck took Abby's hand and lead her out of one of the school's side doors that lead to the student parking lot. Once they reached his truck Puck let go of Abby's hand and opened the passenger door for her.

"What about school?" Abby asked quietly, rocking back and forth as if deciding whether to get into the car or walk back to the school.

"We're cutting class, it's not going to kill you, now get it" Puck said, his tone not unkind, but leaving no room for questioning.

Abby nodded to herself, as if securing her decision, and then scrambled up into the seat of the cab. Puck shut the door and ran around to the driver's side, quickly starting the vehicle and driving off before Abby could change her mind.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry it took me so long to update...things have been a little crazy with school, and on top of that I was really struggling with this chapter. Lucky for you this chapter is a beast to make up for taking so long for me to post it.**

**Ok, so I realized as I was writing this chapter that I completely screwed up and forgot to write in the part where Glee goes to see that other school's club perform, which was the reason why Abby had to talk to Mr. Scheu, and the whole gossip drama started. But since it's too late to go back and write in another chapter, and nothing overly important was supposed to happen then, we're going to continue on with the story, and pretend that they went on their trip, fun was had by all, and they returned safe and sound to continue with our regularly scheduled drama. Ok? Thanks for playing along guys, and sorry for the mix-up!! Oh, and also, apparently I've been calling Matt's character Mark, and that isn't right either...I'm gonna try and go back and fix that for later chapters, but it'll be right from here on in!**

**Mystic**

Chapter Eight:

****WARNING: This chapter contains mature content including reference to OFC death and child abuse. Rated M****

Abby sat alone in her apartment, a tissue in her hand, dabbing uselessly at the tears that streamed down her face. She sighed, feeling as though all she had done since she had moved to Lima was cry. Getting up and throwing out the soiled tissue, Abby set about making tea as her thoughts drifted back to that afternoon and the events that brought about her tears.

_Earlier that Afternoon_

"So where are you taking me Noah?" Abby asked as they drove through the quiet streets of Lima.

"Well I figured we could go to my place; throw in a movie or something. My mom's at work and my sister's still in school"

"Oh, um...I don't know how I feel about that" Abby said quietly. "I-I'd feel more comfortable somewhere a little less private" she stared down at her hands as she spoke, her face bright red.

Puck sighed and made a sharp right hand turn.

"You're still afraid of me" he said, stating a fact instead of asking a question.

"Well it's just...I mean...I'm sorry" she whispered. "I don't even know what we are; I don't feel comfortable being in that kind of situation"

"We were alone in your apartment yesterday" Puck pointed out as he pulled into the Lima Mall parking lot.

"But that was before we...kissed, and to be honest you didn't really give me a choice in the matter there"

Puck smirked and chuckled a little "Yeah I guess you're right about that" He finished pulling into a parking space, turned off his truck and shifted to face Abby. "Be my girlfriend" he said so bluntly that Abby did a double take at him.

"What?"

"Well you said you don't know what we are, so, be my girlfriend"

"You're not just asking to get into my pants are you? Because girlfriend or not, I'm still not ready to...you know"

"Have sex?"

"Yeah"

"It's cool, the last chick I had sex with got knocked up, so it's probably good that we wait a while" he said with a cheeky grin that Abby rolled her eyes at.

"Very funny Noah"

"I thought so" he turned somber for a moment "So, we're official?"

"I guess so, boyfriend" Abby said with a shy smile.

"Good, well then girlfriend; let's go do some truant shopping"

Puck put his arm protectively around Abby as they strode into the mall. Abby reached her right hand up and held onto the hand that had been resting on her shoulder. Puck leaned down and pressed a kiss into Abby's hair as they slowed their pace, looking at the window displays. About a half an hour passes before they decided to go find something to eat. As they were picking what they wanted to have Puck swore under his breath and tensed his hold on Abby's hand.

"What is it?"

"Assholes from a school in the next town over. It's their football captain and his minions" he muttered to her just as the person they were talking about spotted them.

"Hey! Puckerman!" the large teen called out and Puck pulled himself up to his full height and walked a half step ahead of Abby.

"What do you want Stein?" Puck sneered.

Jeez Puckerman, can't a guy say hello to his competition?" the cronies on either side of Stein snickered and cracked their knuckles threateningly in an attempt to look menacing.

"Sure, now you've said your hello's, so you're gonna get the hell out of my mall"

"But wait, we haven't been introduced to your friend here. Hey sweetheart, wanna go for a ride with a real man?"

Abby turned white as the hulking teen addressed her, and took another step back, shaking her head 'no' emphatically, but he merely took a step closer, not getting the hint.

"Come on baby, I'll make it way better than this fool" he pressed.

"You're going to stop talking to her now. In fact, just stop talking" Puck barked, leaning forward with a terrifying glare on his face.

"Why? You afraid your girl is gonna realize she's dating a joke and get with a stud? Or better yet, why don't I just lean the bitch over the table and have her right here?" Stein took a step and a half towards Abby before Puck's fist connected with his nose.

Thinking back on it, Abby couldn't tell if the person screaming in her memory was her or someone else in the food court, but she did know that someone wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to safety as the all-out brawl broke loose. She also wasn't sure how or why Finn was at the mall, but as soon as she was out of harm's way of the three to one fight, he was charging in, taking down the guy about to sucker-punch Puck from behind. Abby and the other food court patrons watched in horror as Puck and Finn beat down on the three other boys, Abby's eyes glued to the scene in front of her despite how much she wanted to look away.

A handful of mall security came running towards them and began to try and break up the fight. It took two guards to restrain Puck, who kept fighting and struggling until Stein and his two friends were collected off the floor and lead to the mall office. As soon as they were out of sight, Puck stopped struggling.

"I need to check on my girlfriend" he said to the female guard in front of him.

"Not a chance pal, you're coming to the office with us" she said sternly.

"Please, that creep threatened to rape her and took a lunge at her, that's why the fight started. I'll come quietly and answer all your questions if you just let me make sure she's Ok" he pleaded quietly, his eyes flitting back and forth between the guard and where Abby stood about ten feet away, a far-off look in her eye.

The guard sighed and nodded slightly. "Two minutes, but try anything funny and I call the cops"

"Done" Puck waited until the guard restraining him let go, then he was striding towards Abby.

He was about to step forward and pull her into his arms when she took a step back away from him, her eyes wide, reminding him of a scared animal.

"Abby?" he said softly, approaching her slowly. "You alright?" he tried to reach a hand out to smooth over her hair but again she shied away from his touch. "Abby what is it?" he growled in frustration, running a hand over his Mohawk when she took another step away from him, looking nervously between Puck, behind him at Finn, and over her shoulder where she could see the doors that lead outside.

"I-I" she stammered for a moment, then turned and ran for the doors as fast as she could, Puck calling after her retreating form.

Abby made it all the way outside before she collapsed onto the ground, sobs wracking her body. She leaned against the wall of the building as she felt waves of panic wash over her, her breathing shallow and rapid. She fumbled for her cell phone and scrolled through the names, not knowing who to call, but needing someone. Finally settling on a name she dialled the number and held the phone to her ear with a trembling hand.

"Abigail. I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon after such a verbal berating today " Kurt said coolly in place of a greeting.

"Kurt?" Abby managed to choke out, her tears and breathing still out of control. "Puck...f-f-fight...mall...need you" she finally got out, and she immediately heard the sound of a locker door slam.

"I'm on my way. What door are you at?"

"Food court"

"I'll be there in ten, just hang on" he told her before hanging up.

Abby leaned back and tried to get her breathing and tears under control all the while keeping a watchful eye on her surroundings. Seven minutes later Kurt's large black SUV came tearing into the parking lot. He pulled up in front of where Abby was sitting and, leaving the car running, got out and ran to where she was sitting. Noticing her flinch when he got too close, Kurt slowed his pace and carefully knelt in front of the trembling girl.

"Are you Ok? Did he hurt you?" Kurt asked, looking Abby right in the eye, silently demanding a truthful answer.

Slowly Abby shook her head 'no'.

Kurt nodded in acceptance and stood up, holding out his hand and pulling Abby to her feet when she accepted it.

"Come on, we'll go get a coffee and you can tell me what happened"

Abby gave him a skeptical look.

"Oh please, don't even start with me. You called me for a reason, so let me be your friend today, and you can go back to being mad at me tomorrow" Kurt told her, his eyebrow arched so high it almost reached his hairline.

His comment elicited a small smile from Abby, and Kurt wrapped his arm around her waist as they made their way back to the truck.

Two hours, two teas, and one shared piece of chocolate cake later, Kurt was parked outside of Abby's apartment complex giving her a pep-talk.

"If this relationship between you and Puck is going to work at all you are going to need to tell him what you told me. He needs to know what he did to scare you so bad so he won't do it again" Kurt said sensibly.

"I know, I just hate telling people. It's...well its embarrassing"

"Abigail North, it's anything but embarrassing. You went through something horrible, that is nothing to be ashamed of" he said fiercely, and Abby sighed.

"Ok, I guess, but I still don't like people knowing" she said with a stubborn pout.

"Fair enough, I swear to you not to tell a single soul, and the only other person you need to tell is Puck, then you won't have to tell anyone else. Puck needs to know though"

"You're right, Ok? I'll tell him, but I won't like it" Abby said with a smile that Kurt noticed didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'll see you in class tomorrow Kurt. Thank you for saving me today"

"No problem sweetie, see you then" Kurt squeezed her hand briefly before she slid out of his SUV, waving before she entered her building.

Abby snapped out of her memory of that afternoon as her kettle started to sing. She puttered around her kitchen fixing her tea, and was just about to sit down with it when someone knocked on the door. She set down her mug on the side table next to her favorite chair and made her way to the front door, opening it to reveal Finn and Puck.

"Hi" she said quietly, self consciously wiping under her eyes, checking for any mascara runs.

"Hey. Can we come in, or are you going to run away again?" Puck asked, and Finn elbowed him in the ribs.

"Come on in guys. Do you want a drink? I just made tea"

"I'm good, thanks Abby" Finn responded, looking around her apartment curiously.

"No thinks" Puck grunted.

"Ok, well come sit down then" Abby told them, returning to her abandoned mug of tea and settling back into her chair. "Are either of you hurt? There should be some ice in the freezer if you need it"

Puck scoffed and looked smug "We don't need ice, Stein and his henchmen barely got any solid hits in. We creamed them" he shared a fist bump with Finn over their victory before noticing the unimpressed look in Abby's eye.

"The details are a little fuzzy for me, but Finn, were you the one who pulled me out of the way?" Abby ignored Puck's statement and looked at his friend, who was sitting on the couch bouncing his legs in a hyper-active manor that made Abby suspect that he was still on an adrenaline high from the fight.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah that was me. Sorry if I startled you; Puck texted me to tell me you guys had skipped and were at the mall, and I figured I'd come meet up with you since I felt like skipping. I had just gotten to the mall and found you guys when Stein showed up, and by the time I was across the food court the fight had started. I just hauled you back so you didn't get caught in the cross-fire" he shrugged modestly.

"Well thank you, I was kind of frozen to the spot, I might have gotten hurt had you not moved me"

"No worries...are you Ok though?" Finn asked hesitantly. "I mean you kind of freaked and took off on us after things calmed down"

Abby looked at Puck, who briefly met her eye contact before looking away, and she sighed, knowing he was mad for her behaviour earlier.

"I'm alright. I'm sorry I had you worried. Before I explain, what happened at the mall? Did you get into a lot of trouble?" Finn and Puck exchanged a look and both laughed at that question.

"Puck explained what happened with Stein and how he was just defending your honour and stuff like that and they let us off with a warning" Finn told her, his smug expression matching Puck's.

"Oh, well that's good I guess" Abby sounded hesitant.

"Of course it's good. What, do you think we should have gotten punished for defending you" Puck snapped.

"Well, no I'm glad you're not in trouble, but you really hurt those guys..." Abby trailed off then sighed. "I hate that Kurt's right"

"What does the fairy have to do with anything? I thought you weren't talking to him anymore" Puck scrunched his face up in confusion, and in the back of Abby's mind she giggled at how cute it was, before focusing on the task at hand.

"Don't call him that" she scolded before answering the question. "Anyway, I called Kurt after I ran out, he came and got me and we talked. We're still not the way we used to be, but I needed to talk to someone and he helped me figure some stuff out. I have something to tell you guys, about my life before I moved to Lima. It's not pretty, and it's really messed up, but it will explain some things, especially concerning how I acted today"

"Do you want me to go? This sounds like something you and Puck need to talk about" Finn said, looking back and forth between the two.

"No, please stay. It's hard for me to talk about this, but it's better if a few people know...just in case. I mean I love Kurt and all, but there isn't much he could do if my dad ever found me" Finn settled back in his seat while Abby took a deep and calming breath, trying to center herself before telling her story for the second time that day.

"I didn't know my dad much growing up. He's an ER doctor, and worked a lot of crazy shifts, and was always tired when he came home, so it was always me and mom at home. She was my best friend in the world. This may come as a shock to you guys, but I'm not great with people. I had a hard time making friends and finding a place I belonged in school. But with my mom, she was an amazing woman. She worked during the day, but she was always bright and happy to see me when she'd pick me up from school, and we'd go on these crazy adventures to different places, and be laughing the whole time. She got sick when I was twelve. Something was wrong with her kidneys and it got bad really fast. We started spending every other day at the hospital so she could get dialysis. It's funny, but since we were at the hospital all the time, I saw my dad more during those six months than I had my entire life" Abby stopped and took another shaky breath, getting to the hard part of the story.

"It's Ok" Puck said softly, and she looked up into his concerned brown eyes. "You don't have to keep going"

She let out a light chuckle, shaking her head. "Yes I do. I need you to know"

"Six months after her diagnosis she was dead. I was thirteen, and completely devastated. She was the light in my world and I didn't know how to exist without her. My dad threw himself into his work even more, pretty much leaving me to my own devices. I did all the cooking, all the cleaning, and all the shopping. He would transfer the money I needed for food and bills into an account and I was responsible for paying them. I forgot to pay the cable bill one month, maybe four months after she died, and it was one rare weekend when he was home. He wanted to watch a specific game, but they cut off our cable. He threw the TV through the window and screamed at me for over an hour before he proceeded to drink himself into a stupor and pass out.

"This pattern continued for two years, with him either never home, or constantly drunk or emotionally abusing me. Finally, about six months before I came to Lima, he actually turned physically violent. I dropped a plate and it smashed. My mom had picked out the china we used, and had always been very careful with it. It was an accident, but my dad flew off the handle and beat me terribly. I packed my bags that night and left to the sounds of him screaming at me that he was going to hunt me down and finish the job he had started. I went to the police and they set me up with social services.

"It took about six months for all the paperwork to go through for me to be emancipated, but my dad signed the papers, and it all worked out. I've still got a scar on the back of my neck from where he cut me with a shard of broken china that night. And since then I've pretty much been terrified all the time.

"That's why I froze when you started fighting with those jerks at the mall. I was flashing back to that night. It happens from time to time: post-traumatic stress and all that fun stuff. You keep accusing me of being scared of you Puck, and it's true that I am, but it's not just you. I'm scared of most men, particularly the ones that are aggressive or violent. But I don't want to give him the satisfaction of affecting my life to the point where I limit the people I hang out with because I'm afraid they'll do what he did. So yes, you scare the crap out of my sometimes, especially when you go and beat the living hell out of someone right in front of me, but I do still care about you and want to be your girlfriend. I just don't want you hitting people on my behalf. I just...I can't have you doing that to people and saying it's because of me, please" her voice finally gave out as the last word barely came out as a whisper. She wiped again at the tears that had rimmed her eyes, and leaned back against the couch, all of her emotions drained.

"I...I'm so sorry" Puck said, and both Finn and Abby looked up at him, Abby with surprise on her face, and Finn with absolute shock written all over his. His best friend rarely apologized to anyone, let alone to girls. "I know I freak people out sometimes, because I'm angry a lot, but I never wanted to scare you so badly, or at all. I just...my gut reaction was to protect you, and the only way I know how to do that is to hit people. I – well I'll try not to do that when you're around, or in your defence I guess – unless it's really necessary" he tacked on hastily at the end.

Abby laughed lightly and nodded her head. "I guess that's all I can ask for. Thank you, and your apology is accepted" she smiled at him and opened her arms, laughing when Puck tackle-hugged her, knocking her back on the couch.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hey guys, I know this is a shorter chapter, but I promise that the climactic ending to this story is coming soon, and the next few chapters will be longer ones because of it. There are probably only going to be about two or three more chapters after this one, so I hope you've been enjoying this story as much as I have, and I hope you like the slight twist that occurs in this chapter. Hope you guys like it! Enjoy!!

- Mystic

Chapter Nine:

Glee Club was in a complete chaos. It was one week until Regional's and Rachel Berry had just dropped a bomb.

"There is just nothing I can do. My Daddy's father is gravely ill, and we are going to Wisconsin in two days to stay with him until he passes, which will be soon, but then with the funeral and all, we won't be back for at least ten days" Rachel tried to explain to her panicking classmates. "You know how much this kills me, but my Daddy needs me, so I have to go"

"Of course Rachel, we understand your familial commitment" Mr. Scheuster said, though he looked slightly pale.

"We're screwed!" Mercedes exclaimed, and the class followed in an uproar.

"Hold up! Why can't one of the other girls sing Rachel's part?" Mike stood up to try and suggest, but he sat back down quickly when all of the girls started scoffing and shooting him disbelieving looks.

"Easier said than done" Quinn told him, shaking her head patronizingly.

Puck stood up then, and held up his hands until everyone quieted down, and then pointed at Abby.

"Abby can do it. She can sing Rachel's part"

"Noah sit down!" Abby hissed at him, her face flaming red as all eyes turned to her.

"No, I'm serious, I heard her belt out some Mariah Carey or something like that, and she was flawless. She can do Rachel's part, I swear it" Puck kept insisting, ignoring Abby's protests and emphatic head shaking.

"Well Abby, what do you say? Want to give it a shot?" Mr. Scheuster asked, a small amount of hope glimmering in his eyes.

"I can't, I'm not as good as Rachel, and I get stage fright. I...I don't know if I can"

"Give it a try. If you can do Rain on my Parade then we'll work on the other parts and help with the stage fright" Kurt tried to convince her, a hopeful look on his face.

Abby sighed and closed her eyes before she said "The song Finn and Rachel were supposed to do for the duet is too low a key for me, but I have an idea for a different one, if you don't mind the switch"

A cheer went up throughout the room and Mr. Scheuster laughed, clapping his hands together excitedly. "Ok guys, we've got a lot of work to do. Let's go over the set list the way it is now, and make the changes to help Abby, and then we need to rehearse like mad to make sure we all know what we're doing minus one person"

"So what are the requirements again?" Puck asked

"Ok, we need one ballad, one duet, one mash-up, at least one full ensemble piece, and one club choice. And we're only allowed to repeat one song from our Sectionals audition. So we've got our repeat song of Rain on my Parade as the Ballad. Are you Ok with that song Abby?" Mr. Scheuster double-checked "I know it's a big song"

"Yeah, I know it; I just need Rachel to show me roughly what she was doing in terms of choreography. I know it's loose, but I'd still like a rough idea"

"Great, so then the duet, you said you had an idea for that?"

Abby smiled and turned to whisper in Rachel's ear.

"Can you pull that off?" Rachel asked with wonder, her eyes wide, and Abby smiled confidently.

"Absolutely. Can you get the piano and male lead sheet music?"

"I'll call my vocal coach and have it here in under an hour. She owes me a favour" Rachel grinned and then walked out of the room, phone in hand already dialling.

"So the mash-up is still the guys doing It's my Life and Confessions, right?" Artie clarified.

"For sure, I think that's a great pick" Abby said, looking to Mr. Scheuster, who nodded as well.

"Ok, so then we need to work out the duet, teach Abby Rachel's part for Don't Stop Believing and Don't Rain, and the parts won't change for the mash-up or the ensemble piece since they are male lead. Oh, who do you need for the duet?" Finn asked.

"Puck, if he doesn't mind?" Abby turned to ask him, a pleading look in her eye.

"I'm in" he agreed "What are we singing?"

"It's a surprise, but don't worry, I've got the hard part. Yours is cake"

"I like cake" he grinned cheekily at her, and she swatted at his arm half-heartedly.

Rachel came back in at that moment with a smile on her face. "My coach will be here in ten minutes. She had the music on hand, and just has to bring it over here. Let's go to the auditorium to go over Parade while we're waiting, shall we? So, here is my philosophy about this song"

"Wait, you have a whole philosophy on just one song?" Puck cut in.

"Of course" Rachel smiled at him before turning back to Abby, leading her away from the others to make their way towards the auditorium. Abby turned around and mouthed the words 'Help Me' to Puck before she disappeared around the corner, her arm firmly in Rachel's grasp.

All too soon for her liking, Abby found herself alone at the back of the auditorium, the rest of the Glee club members scattered throughout the audience, waiting to see her performance of Don't Rain on my Parade. As the music started playing her instincts took over and she started singing with all of her heart, playing around with some of the moves that Rachel suggested as she made her way down the aisle to the stage, giving it all she had. Finally, as the song built to a crescendo, Abby planted herself center stage and belted the song for all she was worth. Once the song was over, there was silence in the hall until Kurt spoke up.

"Thank the Lord, we're not screwed after all!"

The rest of the club then joined in with the cheers and praise, while Abby took several deep breaths and slowed her heart rate.

Puck was up on stage beside her in an instant, hugging her close "I'm so proud of you" he murmured "I know that was hard for you"

"If I can hardly do that here how am I supposed to do it at Regional's?" She whisper-yelled with a hint of panic in her voice as she pulled back to look at Puck's face while she spoke.

"We'll work on it, don't worry" he told her soothingly, before grabbing her hand and pulling it up above her head in celebration, acknowledging all of the cheering gleeks below them, still going wild for Abby's performance. Abby smiled then, trying to let go of all her fears and just enjoy the fact that she was going to be in the spotlight for once, and that her friends believed that she had enough talent to warrant her being there.


End file.
